Just do a search on Pinterest, Google or Amazon and you will see a plethora of books, studies, blogs dealing with this topic.

These are usually powerful and helpful, if not for the writing of the author, the simple truth that studying God's names is a powerful concept.

However, I bring this before you, not to talk about the different meanings and insights of God's character through His name.

Instead, I would like to take a look at how we as a culture have desensitized ourselves to God by removing His name and or defaming His name in our vocabulary and in our daily lives.

In the psychology of dehumanization we see two dynamics being twisted:

Psychological essentialism - This basically means a being has an essence that is just for them. A human's essence we might consider to be the Human Soul. This thought views that all people have a soul. Twisted: a being has no essence and is nothing more than an inanimate object.

Nature is arranged as a hierarchy - human beings are at the top of the hierarchy. Twisted: Power is at the top of the hierarchical list and assertion of power is domination over nature.

These tactics twisted, are used repeatedly by terro iists and others determined to undermine and destroy people's strength and self-preservation. And as the intruders and attackers take on these behaviors of desensitizing themselves into thinking of their hostages as less than, they remove themselves from reality. They callous themselves against those they are attacking and don't consider them as human beings. This allows them to consider the people of no value. Then they can attack, belittle, destroy and other horrible things without feeling remorse.

Could we take this one step further and think about how we view God's name?

You as an employee on a job, a family member, a neighbor. Us as a culture. As a country. As a world. How do we view God's name? How do we relate to Him?

First, I wonder if our world has not come to the place where we have so desensitized ourselves to the names of God we are deaf to the still small voice that calls out in us? Do we understand God's essence is as El Elyon (the God Most High)?

Second, I wonder if our world has not come to the place where we have so desensitized ourselves to the names of God we are raising our own importance by degrading His Name in curse words, degrading comments. Even simply a word of exclamation destroys the importance of the name? How would you feel if every time your husband smashed his hand with a hammer he shouted out in frustration and anger your name?

By doing either of these, and not taking His Name as important, nor personal, nor powerful, nor worthy, we stand on the brink of travesty.

Instead of learning His names and using His names to communicate with Him we show that we are not desiring to know Him intimately. What a shame. What sadness. He desires to be known. After all one of his names is Abba, Daddy.

There is a little story I've heard about John John, President John F. Kennedy's son.

When President Kennedy was in office there was a photograph taken of JohnJohn playing underneath his desk in the Oval Office. President Kennedy was meeting with important people. Think about it. These very important people had to walk through all sorts of check points to be validated before moving into the Oval Office for a meeting with the President.

But JohnJohn, President Kennedy's little boy, had sped past them all.

Running down the hallway, he entered with abandon into his father's lap and slipped down under the desk to play with his father's shoelaces. There was no hesitancy, no fear, no anguish. Not one person tried to stop him. They couldn't. He, little JohnJohn, belonged. He was playing at his daddy's feet.

And because JohnJohn knew President Kennedy as Daddy, JohnJohn got preferential treatment.

What we are missing by desensitizing ourselves from God's intimate names. Even as believers we are negligent in learning them, sharing them, calling out to El Roi, the God who Sees. Or Jehovah Jireh, The God who Provides.

How many of us seeking peace cry out to Jahweh-Shalom, or healing ask our precious Great Physician, Yahweh Rapha?

And when we think of Jesus do we understand that the name Jesus means the God who Saves? And Immanuel means God with us. Oh how even His names cry out to us for relationship.

Take some time to get to know God. Take some time and get to know His Names. They are powerfully personal. He waits patiently for you to call Him.

If we helped you in any way share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Robyn Rochelle Cox

I want to spend my life learning how to fear God well - because when you fear God well, you have nothing else to fear

Who am I to this world?By Morning: Writer/Blogger/Reader/Prayer (well...all day)By Midday:Professional Dog WalkerBy Evening:Lover/Friend/ Companion/Hand holder to my HusbandOverall:Long Distance Mom - to 4 children and their bettersOmi - to 8 grandchildrenMama - to 3 furbabies

The Good Stuff:*My husband takes care of me - in a 1,000 different ways - I love that.*Children from all over the world calling, or texting, or Skyping and most importantly, visiting.*The Revisionaries (critique group)